Municipal Facilities.— Stockton is an at ttactive, modern city, having 12 public parks, including one of 27 acres at the northwest cor ner of the city, a good electric car system, and 190 miles of streets of which 32 miles are paved with asphalt and 53 miles with miscellaneous pavements, principally asphalt bound macadam. There are in Stockton two large public baths supplied by warm artesian water, a park with picnic grounds and a baseball diamond. Stock ton Channel, the San Joaquin River and Lake Yosemite also afford opportunities for swim as well as rowing and other water sports. Stockton is one of the best shaded cities California, the most popular trees along the streets and in the gardens being the elm, the maple, the acacia, the orange, the palm, the ole ander and the umbrella tree. From 27 wells, varying in diameter from 12 to 20 inches, and itt depth from 250 to 1,100 feet, water is pumped direct into the city mains, against a head of 110 feet above the ground level, using a 200,000 gallon steel tank at that elevation for balancing. These 27 wells are located at three separate stations about two miles apart. Twenty of them are located on a 10-acre tract and sup ply from 8,000,000 to 10,000,000 gallons daily, without showing any diminuation of their ca pacity. The water system is owned by a private corporation. Rates are regulated by the Rail road Commission of California.
The city has a fully-paid and well-equipped fire department with 38 men. The police de partment has 36 men. A post-office of the first class, has an annual revenue of about $150,000, 65 employes and 7 rural delivery routes, one of which, serving the delta, is a water route, of which there are only three or four in the United States, delivery being made by launch. There are about 7,500 telephones connecting at Stock ton, including 265 reaching nearby farming dis tricts; 36 church organizations and 26 buildings used for religious purposes; 15 public schools valued at $752,600 and enrolling about 4,200 pupils, the high school group of buildings, in cluding the science, manual arts and gymnasium buildings, costing $206,000; 2 parish schools, including Saint Agnes College; a business col, lege, a normal school and a number of smaller private schools and academies. The public li brary cost $75,000 and has 70,000 volumes and 33,000 pamphlets, maps and atlases. It serves not only the people of Stockton but 26 deposit sta tions throughout San Joaquin County. There are 17 hotels, including the half-million dollar Mission hotel facing the plaza, built by the peo ple of Stockton; the buildings of the State Hos pital for the Insane., Saint Joseph's Home g M and Hospital; Young Christian Associa tion building; Elks building; several bank buildings, the loth story and roof of one of which is occupied by the chamber of commerce; three daily papers, one semi-weekly and five weekly papers are published in the city. The eight banks of Stockton have a paid-up capital of $2,802,700, with surplus, undivided and other profits of over $1,821,000; deposits amounting to over $20,661,000, including the circulating notes of national banks; loans over $17,644,000; and resources aggregating in excess of $25,285, 000. There are three building and loan associa
tions with assets of over $1,882,000. The as sessed valuation of all property in the city proper is about $29,000,000; bonded indebted ness, $750,000.
History and Governtnent.— In 1843, Capt. C. M. Weber, the founder of • Stockton, se cured a grant of 11 square leagues (48,747 acres) of laud fecal the; Mexican government This grant known as the Campo de los Fran ceses included the site of the present city of Stockton. At first stock raising was- the only industry. With the discovery of gold in 1848, Stockton became at once the most important supply station for the southern mines. At the head of navigation on the San Joaquin River, goods were brought on sailing vessels from San Francisco to Stockton, the nearest point to the mines. From Stockton supplies were sent to the miners by ox teams, by pack animals or in huge wagons known as "prairie schooners.* As grain farming developed,, the city naturally became the shipping point for the entire tribu tary region.. The completion of 'the first over land railroad in 1869 greatly increased the im portance of Stockton as a manufacturing and distributing centre. In 1850 Stockton was . in corporated with a population of 2,000. The city's growth has been steady and substantial. Under the charter of 1911 the elective officers. of the city are a mayor, four councilmen and 5 school directors, so classified that their,terms do not expire coincidentally. They serve for four years. The council designates one council man to be commissioner of finance, revenue and public supplies, who shall be ex-officio treas urer, one to be commissioner of public health and safety, one to be commissioner of public works and One to be commissioner of audit. The city was named in honor of Commodore Robert Field Stockton of the United States navy. It was laid out in blocks 303 feet square.
(1901) 17, 506; (1910) 23,253. A complete census of the city is taken each year by the school census marshals. In 1914 well-developed territory to the north, east and south was incorporated within the city limits. The population of the city and its immediate tributary territory is estimated at 52,219.
tfz, a seaport town in Durham, England, situated on the Tees River, 11 miles northeast of Darlington. The river is navigable for vessels of heavy draught. Stockton consists of two sections, the town proper and South' Stockton of more recent date, connected by a fine modern bridge. It has mu nicipal buildings, a custom-house, many good churches, quays and steam tramways. There is a fine race-course in the vicinity and Ropner Park, laid out in 1893. Shipbuilding is an ex tensive industry and there are important foundries, blast-furnaces, engine-works and pot teries, breweries, corn and spinning-mills and factories for the making of sail cloth, ropes and linen. The exports Include iron-ware and pottery; the imports are chiefly corn, timber, etc. There is quite a brisk river trade. The Stockton and Darlington were the first boats to carry passengers and goods. Pop. about 52,000.